If God had a political affiliation, what would it be?

What a great question! This is because it highlights some important truths for Christians.

Would God be on the side of the conservatives, or the liberals, or perhaps the libertarians? Is God a socialist or a capitalist? Clearly, none of these.

God does have a political agenda. When he is ready to, God will give control of the earth to Jesus Christ.

Isa 2:2-4 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, (3) and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (4) He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

However we should not try to pre-empt God by trying to establish our own vision of what God’s kingdom should be now, as if we knew better than God what the world needs. Christ and the apostles did not preach a gospel of reformation of the Roman Empire. Their message is for each of us to be reformed in Christ’s image. Paul’s instruction about a Christian’s attitude to government is:

Rom 13:1-6 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (2) Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (3) For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, (4) for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. (5) Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. (6) For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

Paul gave instructions to Christian slaves and Christian masters.

Tit 2:9 Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

Col 4:1 Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Paul did not, however, instruct Christians to try to overturn slavery in the Empire.

Some Christians (myself included) see in the example of Jesus and the apostles good reason to exclude themselves from participation in politics, even to the extent of not voting, but rather looking forward with earnest expectation to the time when Christ shall rule the world.

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3 Responses to If God had a political affiliation, what would it be?

Thank you for being so thorough answering my question. Jesus transcends any political party but there are times when governments can break God’s laws (slavery, abortion, same-sex marriage, breach of basic liberties, and as Christians don’t we have a moral obligation to respond politically?

If it is right to respond politically then why did Paul not do so? The outrages of morality in the Roman empire were no less than today. When Christ establishes his government that will be the time for political reform. Today is the time for personal reform.

Scott – You know why you have such a tough time dealing with this answer? It is because you as a Christian have failed to persuade non-believers to the ideals of Christ, therefore, you believe in manipulating a secular law to enact God’s will when God’s will can be achieved by the power of the Holy Spirit within you. The Gentile Kingdoms are not the Kingdom of Heaven. If you are a believer you must accept the fact that America and Israel is not your home but only heaven and the earth that Jesus and his 144,000 co-rulers will rule.